A Numerical Study on the Pullback Process of a Submarine Cable Based on Trenchless Directional Drilling Technology

Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) can be utilized in a submarine cable landing operation to solve the problems of a deficient buried depth and a limited route. In this study, a numerical model of the pullback process of a submarine cable using HDD technology is established based on the commercial finite element method platform OrcaFlex 11.3, which is validated using the in situ measured data of an HDD operation project for a pipeline. The effects of the crossing length, incident angle, and pullback velocity of the cable on the effective tension in the cable are investigated and analyzed. The results indicate that an increase in the crossing length and incident angle can significantly enhance the tension in the cable. Under the specific conditions in the Zhoushan islands, the maximum crossing length and incident angle are 1700 m and 35°, respectively. The pullback velocity has a minor influence on the tension in the cable, and an extremely large velocity might lock the cable during its pullback operation. The permissible values derived in this study can provide valuable information to similar engineering cases and projects.